Orioles' Tommy Hunter taking it as it comes

Free-spirited pitcher Tommy Hunter is hoping that he can re-establish himself as a starting pitcher at some point, but he’s not going to be picky about the role he ultimately plays on this year’s team.

"I’d definitely like to start,’’ he said, “but if that doesn’t happen, I’ll take the ball whenever I can get it. It’s about getting outs. I want to win. I want to win the World Series.”

Hunter is one of the few Orioles players who has actually played in a World Series – with the Rangers – and he believes that the O’s have what it takes to take the next step in that direction after last year’s surprise trip to the playoffs.

“They know what it takes,’’ he said, “and everybody in this locker room knows we can do it.”

If you’re assuming that Hunter looks back on his World Series experiences fondly, you might be surprised.

“It sucks to lose,’’ he said. “You are absolutely devastated. You start questioning yourself about what else you could have done. It was the worst feeling I ever had. It took about a month before I came to appreciate what we had done.”